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Friday, 30 January 2015

Rogers Hometown Hockey Tour sets up shop in Dollard des Ormeaux on Saturday and Sunday. The two-day hockey celebration gets underway at noon Saturday from the DDO Civic Centre and concludes Sunday at 6 p.m. following the Rogers Hometown Hockey outdoor viewing party. The game features the Canadiens hosting the Arizona Coyotes. Ron MacLean will host a special live pre-game show from the Sportsnet Mobile Studio at 12:30 p.m. on City.

I spoke to PJ Stock last week and he was pretty pumped for the experience. He is, in my opinion, a logical heir apparent to Don Cherry. It might be time to replace Coach’s Corner with The Stock Exchange.

PJ Stock

Local broadcasting personality Bob Babinski, who last year brought the local City television station and Breakfast TV to life, is the coordinating content producer of Rogers Hometown Hockey. He provided me with a nice sneak peek at what to expect. Not only did a camera crew go to the home he grew up in, but during the second intermission of Sunday’s Habs - Coyotes game we will learn about PJ’s brother Dean who has been diagnosed with ALS (Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis), a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord for which there is no cure.

PJ and Dean want to bring the fight against ALS back into the forefront to help raise awareness for this disease, much like it was last summer with the Ice Bucket Challenge.Claudine Cook, executive director of the ALS Society in Quebec, urges readers to check out teamstock.ca, a platform for the family to help spread awareness and raise funds. "It is hard to see a young family afflicted - we won't give you until we find a cure," she says. "Until then we will keep supporting families living with ALS and every stage of the illness."

Other highlights of the broadcast will include an essay and interview with the great Dick Irvin by Stephen Brunt. Dick lives in Pointe Claire and had a legendary career on Hockey Night in Canada, as the radio voice of the Habs and sports director of CFCF TV.

Dick Irvin

Graham Rynbend, the head athletic therapist for the Canadiens, will be profiled. He was born on the West Island, went to school at Concordia and has been working with the team for almost two decades. His experience in dealing with some severe injuries over his career is one of the reasons Graham is so well-respected by his players and considered one of the best in the business.

Vincent Lecavailier of the Philadelphia Flyers grew up playing on the outdoor rinks in West Island Ile-Bizard. Years later he realized the dream of many NHL stars, bringing the Stanley Cup home to share with his hometown.

Jonathan Drouin

Jonathan Drouin opened some eyes in his rookie 2013 season. He won the Canadian Hockey League MVP and Memorial Cup with the Halifax Mooseheads. But before Halifax, Drouin played for the Midget AAA Lac St-Louis Lions. The Rogers team sat down with Drouin as he reflected on his time in Dollard and how it prepared him for the road to the NHL Here is a preview link